Moving to Spain from Malta
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malta to Spain — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malta to Spain, you would find that Spain is 5.7% cheaper than Malta overall. A €65,577 salary in Malta would need to be roughly €60,456 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Malta to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → €60,456
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.5% less
Groceries
pay 5.1% less
Transportation
pay 9.5% more
Housing
pay 3.7% less
Childcare
pay 9.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Malta to Spain, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malta to Spain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malta performs better than Spain across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Malta generally does better on environment, though Spain leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Malta leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Malta performs better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Malta generally does better on family life, though Spain leads in infant mortality.
Data: Government of Malta - Inland Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Valletta | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/49°F (16°/10°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 74°/59°F (23°/15°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/70°F (30°/21°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 69°/57°F (20°/14°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Valletta | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.2°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 60°/49°F (15.5°/9.3°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 62°/50°F (16.7°/10.1°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 66°/53°F (19.1°/11.9°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 74°/59°F (23.3°/14.9°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 82°/65°F (27.5°/18.4°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 87°/70°F (30.7°/21.0°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 87°/71°F (30.7°/21.8°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 82°/68°F (28.0°/20.1°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 76°/63°F (24.2°/17.1°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 68°/57°F (20.1°/13.9°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 62°/52°F (16.7°/11.0°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Office,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malta and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Malta passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Free
Spain passport holder visiting Malta
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Spain than Malta?
Yes — Spain is on average about 8% cheaper than Malta. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €15,114 in Spain on a €65,577 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Spain?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Spain has 36.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Malta performs better than Spain across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Malta.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Malta?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malta leads in health coverage index. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 42.8 in Malta. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malta: 85).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Malta?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 72°F in Valletta. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Valletta gets 21.8 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Malta, the official languages are English and Maltese.
